Gie is based on the life of Soe Hok Gie, a legendary figure in the time of sociopolitical turbulence in Indonesia during the 1950s and 1960s. A chronological biography covering Soe Hok Gie′s entire life from birth to death, the film focuses on his life as a romantic idealist rather than as a political activist. He enjoyed going to the cinema and discussing with his friends the films he had seen. His hobby was mountain-climbing, and had wished to be a writer like his father. At first he thought of politics as nothing but corrupt business and loathed it, but his will for truth and justice made him join the anti-government activist union of college students. Even after the regime had changed as he had wished, he refused to be a member of the dominating group and even criticized the new regime he had once supported, which isolated him from any political groups. Keen on Soe Hok Gie′s rare integrity, the director does not attempt to portray him as a one-dimensional hero nor to draw a didactical theme out of his extraordinarily strong-willed life. Instead, he subtly implies that truth and justice are still required in present times, and that we may have a lot to learn from the life of Soe Hok Gie in order to make the world a better place. (Michelle Sohn)